1. Sushi You
8.0
246 E 51st St (btwn 2nd & 3rd Ave), New York, NY
Sushi Restaurant · Turtle Bay · 27 tips and reviews
Stacey Brecher: Such fresh delicious sushi here! I feel like its a hidden gem so don't tell too many people.
Jardin Anderson: A hidden gem! Easy to miss, walk down the stairs. Sashimi is so fresh and as the place is so small and cosy the service is great. Go the tuna - you won't be disappointed.
Ashley Edery: Hidden gem. Please don't go so that I can always get a seat at the sushi bar.
Laura Pilcher: This place is a hidden gem! Great service and food is delicious. Heirloom tomato salad is huge and they make it a meal with bread. Good wine list - go for a bottle rather than by the glass!
Douglas Elliman: A hidden gem. This chic Italian restaurant is modern yet cozy. We love the food, the cocktails, the service and the location. You must go and try the Pumpkin Gnocchi. It is out of this world!!!!
ℳ𝒶𝓎♍: A hidden restaurant on the 3rd floor of the Armani store. It's definitely beautiful & elegant and you get a nice view of Fifth Ave. Real Italian cuisine, Armani Ristorante never stops to amaze me
3. La Gioconda
8.1
226 E 53rd St (btwn 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave), New York, NY
Italian Restaurant · Turtle Bay · 12 tips and reviews
melissa Hochman: Hidden gem.
Rachel Gruber: I didn't expect such a great Italian restaurant in midtown, but everyone that I was with loved it. Great food, very authentic, I will be going back.
Sonya Doshi: Loved the Cacio e Pepe!
4. Il Corso
8.1
54 W 55th St (btwn 5th & 6th), New York, NY
Italian Restaurant · Midtown East · 41 tips and reviews
Marissa Stuart: A cozy, hidden gem with delicious homemade pasta.
Alex Ravenel: Excellent homemade pastas. Great, small little spot.
dara lynne: Great spot for Italian. Cozy, good service and excellent food. Go!
5. Kuruma Zushi
7.9
7 E 47th St (btwn 5th & Madison), New York, NY
Sushi Restaurant · Midtown East · 31 tips and reviews
Kate A: Hidden gem. Favorite sushi in the city. Delivers impeccable, traditional sushi at a quality that is unmatched.
Stephen L: Awesomely fresh sashimi. Among the best tuna I've tried.
Time Out New York: Toshihiro Uezu’s 12-person sushi bar turns out jaw-dropping nigiri in its purest, most traditional form, delivered from his hands to yours. Read more.
6. Buttercup Bake Shop
8.4
973 2nd Ave (btwn E 51st & E 52nd), New York, NY
Bakery · Turtle Bay · 71 tips and reviews
Sexy LF: Hidden gem of midtown. If you love buttercream frosting, incredible banana pudding and cupcakes in every variation (ube, anyone?) go here!
Ashley Herron: Red velvet and the lemon cupcakes are amazzzzzzing but you can't go wrong with the classic vanilla cake and chocolate icing cupcake.
Tarrah: Red Velvet cupcake is by far the best in the city!! I also suggest the Peanut Butter & Jelly cupcake- jelly filled with peanut butter frosting ;) Read more.
7. A Cafe
7.1
42 W 58th St (6th Ave), New York, NY
Café · Midtown East · 19 tips and reviews
Cassia Lohar: This place is like a hidden gem. Even on a bustling saturday afternoon this place was empty! Food is good. Will definitely be back!
Peter T: Hidden gem - small cafe with great breakfast, brunch etc. Friendly helpful staff. Modern clean decor
EatMeDrinkMeNYC: A true gem for the area. Surprisingly consistent cortados, quiet and they take cards.
Djaniella D.: This place is a hidden gem - cozy atmosphere, friendly baristas, and good coffee!
Sabrina Wang: coffee so good and service is good too! I love the space, very different from other midtown cafes.
Jeff Tomczek: Drip coffee, fresh bakery and even almond milk. Communal table in front great for meetings. Back library perfect for relaxed reading. Could use more seating, but for Midtown East this is a real cafe.
12. The Modern
8.3
9 W 53rd St, New York, NY
New American Restaurant · Midtown East · 197 tips and reviews
Annie: Wine list is intimidating, but the sommelier made a great recommendation- friendly and non judgmental of our interest in "hidden gems" (re: cheaper) list. Foie gras & spicy steak tar tar were winners.
Harpriya Kaur: The desserts are amazing. Specifically the chocolate and hazelnut parfait.
BLOUIN ARTINFO: Begin or end your MoMA trip at this award-winning restaurant, which showcases German artist Thomas Demand. Look closely - the forest is not real but created with 270,000 intricate paper leaves. Read more.